With winter on its way, homeowners are preparing their property for the impending cold weather. Likewise, steel building owners should be investing in annual wintertime maintenance. This time of year, efficient ventilation systems are especially important. Having proper ventilation in your steel building is critical. Steel buildings equipped with ventilation systems such as Gravity Powered Vents or Regular Powered Vents should be prepared for the winter season. The first and most important rule to follow in order to avoid costly repairs and delayed production is to take action now!
Steel buildings benefit from durable structures that require less maintenance compared to other building material alternatives. However, it’s better to perform preventative maintenance on your steel building components now rather than fix them after experiencing an issue, especially if it could result in an OSHA violation. In the end, properly winterizing your steel building ventilation is going to save you time, money, and headaches in the coming winter season.
Checking Your Building To Ensure Your Steel Building Ventilation Is Ready
It makes no difference what type of building you are preparing for the winter season: manufacturing, distribution, storage, and so on. All need to be treated with the same thoroughness and attention to detail. General areas to check when beginning this process are:
- Overhanging trees, limbs, and any other vegetation that could potentially threaten your structure.
- Gutters for debris, low spots that hold water, and rust.
- Signs of animals coming and going.
Covering The Gaps In Your Maintenance
Sometimes, property maintenance crews can overlook minor details when preparing their building, but the little things can make a big difference. For the best results, it is advised to check the seals in and around the building. These small gaps in the roof, siding, and doors caused by rust, cracks, and more can wreak havoc on your steel building’s ventilation. No gap is too small or too insignificant when weather-proofing your building, so make sure to pay close attention to the little details and seal them properly with weatherproof sealant or through other means if necessary. Sealing off gaps is a critical piece of the puzzle to ensure your steel building ventilation systems are functioning at full capacity. Fixing these small imperfections is a great way to prevent long-term damage.
If you manage a steel building, you have to consider interior versus exterior airflow when temperatures drop. Because of the build of steel buildings, they are susceptible to condensation. This issue is usually more common under extreme temperatures, which can lead to mold growth and corrosion. To avoid this, make sure you have sufficient, properly installed vents to aid in your steel building ventilation.
Prepare Your Whole Building For Winter
Furthermore, as the winter season approaches, we recommend that you prepare your building in other ways, such as implementing snow retention systems.
Design Components – Your Trusted Steel Building Ventilation Systems Provider
Even though preparing your commercial steel building for the winter months can be time-consuming and feel intimidating, knowing you started out with a quality ventilation system, like those offered by Design Components, Inc., it can make the process easier. With 40 years of experience as a metal building accessories supplier, we have what it takes to provide an excellent metal building ventilation system that will meet your needs.
Don’t wait for a system failure, speak with an expert today! Give us a call today at (800) 868-9910 or by requesting a quote on our website. Learn more by connecting with us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
